Proverbs 6

1 My son, if you be surety for your friend, if you have stricken your hand with a stranger,

[My] son, if you become surety for your friend, you shall deliver your hand to an enemy.

2 You are snared with the words of your mouth, you are taken with the words of your mouth.

For a man's own lips become a strong snare to him, and he is caught with the lips of his own mouth.

3 Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, when you are come into the hand of your friend; go, humble yourself, and make sure your friend.

[My] son, do what I command you, and deliver yourself; for on your friend's account you are come into the power of evil [men]: faint not, but stir up even your friend for whom you are become surety.

4 Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids.

Give not sleep to your eyes, nor slumber with your eyelids;

5 Deliver yourself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

that you may deliver yourself as a doe out of the toils, and as a bird out of a snare.

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:

Go to the ant, O sluggard; and see, and emulate his ways, and become wiser than he.

7 Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,

For whereas he has no husbandry, nor any one to compel him, and is under no master,

8 Provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest.

he prepares food for himself in the summer, and lays by abundant store in harvest. Or go to the bee, and learn how diligent she is, and how earnestly she is engaged in her work; whose labors kings and private men use for health, and she is desired and respected by all: though weak in body, she is advanced by honouring wisdom.

9 How long will you sleep, O sluggard? when will you arise out of your sleep?

How long will you lie, O sluggard? and when will you awake out of sleep?

10 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:

You sleep a little, and you rest a little, and you slumber a short [time], and you fold your arms over your breast a little.

11 So shall your poverty come as one that travels, and your want as an armed man.

Then poverty comes upon you as an evil traveller, and lack as a swift courier: but if you be diligent, your harvest shall arrive as a fountain, and poverty shall flee away as a bad courier.

12 A naughty person, a wicked man, walks with a fraudulent mouth.

A foolish man and a transgressor goes in ways that are not good.

13 He winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers;

And the same winks with the eye, and makes a sign with his foot, and teaches with the beckonings of his fingers.

14 Frowardness is in his heart, he devises mischief continually; he sows discord.

[His] perverse heart devises evils: at all times such a one causes troubles to a city.

15 Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

Therefore his destruction shall come suddenly; overthrow and irretrievable ruin.

16 These six things does the LORD hate: yes, seven are an abomination to him:

For he rejoices in all things which God hates, and he is ruined by reason of impurity of soul.

17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

The eye of the haughty, a tongue unjust, hands shedding the blood of the just;

18 An heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

and a heart devising evil thoughts, and feet hastening to do evil, —[are hateful to God].

19 A false witness that speaks lies, and he that sows discord among brothers.

An unjust witness kindles falsehoods, and brings on quarrels between brethren.

20 My son, keep your father’s commandment, and forsake not the law of your mother:

[My] son, keep the laws of your father, and reject not the ordinances of your mother:

21 Bind them continually on your heart, and tie them about your neck.

but bind them upon your soul continually, and hang them as a chain about your neck.

22 When you go, it shall lead you; when you sleep, it shall keep you; and when you wake, it shall talk with you.

Whenever you walk, lead this along and let it be with you; that it may talk with you when you wake.

23 For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life:

For the commandment of the law is a lamp and a light; a way of life; reproof also and correction:

24 To keep you from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

to keep you continually from a married woman, and from the calumny of a strange tongue.

25 Lust not after her beauty in your heart; neither let her take you with her eyelids.

Let not the desire of beauty overcome you, neither be you caught by your eyes, neither be captivated with her eyelids.

26 For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

For the value of a harlot is as much as of one loaf; and a woman hunts for the precious souls of men.

27 Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

Shall any one bind fire in his bosom, and not burn his garments?

28 Can one go on hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

or will any one walk on coals of fire, and not burn his feet?

29 So he that goes in to his neighbor’s wife; whoever touches her shall not be innocent.

So is he that goes in to a married woman; he shall not be held guiltless, neither any one that touches her.

30 Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry;

It is not to be wondered at if one should be taken stealing, for he steals that when hungry he may satisfy his soul:

31 But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

but if he should be taken, he shall repay sevenfold, and shall deliver himself by giving all his goods.

32 But whoever commits adultery with a woman lacks understanding: he that does it destroys his own soul.

But the adulterer through lack of sense procures destruction to his soul.

33 A wound and dishonor shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

He endures both pain and disgrace, and his reproach shall never be wiped off.

34 For jealousy is the rage of a man: therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

For the soul of her husband is full of jealousy: he will not spare in the day of vengeance.

35 He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though you give many gifts.

He will not forego [his] enmity for any ransom: neither will he be reconciled for many gifts.